“…Mitzi and her best friend Beth do yoga. All day long. “Yoga, Poga, Shmoga!,” is what I say.” Yoga Poga Shmoga! is a story about the resiliency of a sibling relationship, tested when older sister Mitzi chooses to practice yoga with her friends instead of spending time with her younger brother, Axel. Feeling left out, Axel scorns his sister’s new activity with his dismissive catch phrase, “Yoga Poga Shmoga!” But when Mitzi gives Axel his very own yoga mat, his attitude quickly changes and he is soon reveling in the calming, joyous nature of yoga and inspires their whole neighborhood to practice together. Yoga Poga Shmoga! helps children and families learn about the benefits and the enjoyment of yoga in an accessible, relatable way. It encourages families to incorporate active, healthy lifestyle into their everyday lives.

About the Author and Illustrator

Yoga Poga Shmoga! was written by renowned wellness advocate, philanthropist and devoted yogi Sonia Jones. Her mission is to make health and wellness available to everyone. She is the co-founder of Sonima.com and The Sonima Foundation and an Advisory Board member of the Contemplative Science Center at the University of Virginia. Jones has a deep connection with and passion for yoga, meditation and general health and wellness. She advocates the importance of yoga and mindfulness for children, adding that kids who are physically and emotionally present are healthier, do better in school, and treat people kindly.

Todd Dakins is an award-winning children’s book illustrator who lives in Nashotah, Wisconsin. His published credits include Good Morning, Good Night Billy & Abigail (Billy and Abigail Board Books), A Counting Book with Billy & Abigail, A Very Special Snowflake, Sparky the Fire Dog and Bobbie and Minnie – We Can Do Anything.

About Yoga Poga Shmoga!

Yoga Poga Shmoga! was available June 1, 2016 for priced at $7.95 hardcover and $3.99 paperback. Published by Peek-A-Book Publishing Group, Yoga Poga Shmoga! is a great book to introduce the joy of yoga to children of all ages. I love how Axel’s negativity & jealousy changes when his sister surprises him with his very own mat, so they can do yoga together. Todd Dakins illustrations are amazing. I love the work he’s done with each page; the colors are vibrant and pop, keeping the attention of the listener. I also love the relationship between older sister Mitzi and younger brother Axel and how it changes when Mitzi chooses to do yoga instead of hanging out with her brother, but very much wants Axel to do yoga with her. Axel “hates” yoga, but secretly loves it and practices poses with his friend Rob. My favorite feature of the book in the very last page:

The last page of the book gives some examples of yoga poses that you can do with your child such as frog, snake, and warrior. I really like how interactive the book can be, offering examples of poses and showing a few others throughout the book. This idea can really spark the interest in your child to learn more poses that you can do together. I also really commend the author Sonia Jones. 100% of her proceeds for this book will go to the Sonima Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to provide dynamic health and wellness programs to children across the country and to engage and inspire them with yoga-based exercise and mindfulness practices. To learn more and get involved, visit sonimafoundation.org.

Disclaimer: Sara M. has personally reviewed the product listed above. Sara has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Sara did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.